Paštrovići Impressions: Between Stone and Sea  (Paštrovske impresije: među kamenom i morem)

Žana Lekić, flute

Petra Lekić, flute

Vladana Perović, piano

Žana Lekić is a prominent Montenegrin flutist and a full professor of Chamber Music at the Music Academy in Cetinje, University of Montenegro. Her primary and secondary musical education was set off at the “Stevan Mokranjac” Music School in Kraljevo, where she studied in the class of the distinguished pedagogue, professor Karolj Maločik. She later came full circle when it comes to her studies in Flute and that  at the Music Academy in Cetinje, where she obtained both- her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees with the highest honors under the mentorship of the renowned professor and eminent flutist Ljubiša Jovanović. Whilst still a student, she won numerous awards at regional, federal and international competitions, performing both- as a soloist and in chamber ensembles. She perfected her artistic skills by being invested in international masterclasses, led by some of the world’s most notable flutists, including János Bálint (Hungary), Michael Debost (USA), Aurèle Nicolet (Switzerland) and Peter Lucas Graff (Germany). She became highly established over the years and with it came  a prominent concert career, and performances at major festivals and concert venues across Montenegro, region as well as those abroad, encompassing Italy, France, Russia, China, Croatia and Slovenia. Some of the most notable  performances include those in Paris, Spain, Moscow and Beijing, in addition to the numerous premiere performances of contemporary compositions. In addition to her career in performance, she is consistent in her dedication to pedagogical work at the Music Academy in Cetinje, having  educated generations of award-winning students there. She is one of the founders of the chamber trio “Ardor”, which is known for continually  promoting chamber and contemporary music, as well as the works of Montenegrin composers. At the same time, she is also a part of the newly established trio “Alba Montenegrina”, consisting of renowned Montenegrin artists: flutist Petra Lekić and pianist Vladana Perović. She is an active participant of the cultural and public life in Montenegro, having made a significant contribution to the enrichment of the Montenegrin cultural scene.

Petra Lekić was born in Bar and  began her musical education there, in her hometown. Subsequently, at the age of 17, she was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, one of the world’s most prestigious music universities. She rounded up her undergraduate studies and earned her Bachelor’s Degree there in 2023, whilst also obtaining  her Master of Arts degree in 2026 and that  from the same university. It is important to mention that during this time she was studying under the mentorship of the renowned professor and principal flutist of the Vienna Philharmonic, Walter Auer. Still a student, she won numerous national and international awards, encompassing the following: the 1^st prize at the National Competition of Montenegro, the 1^st prize at the “Miodrag Azanjac” International Competition in Belgrade,  “Premio Clivis” Competition in Rome (2^nd prize), as well as the 2^nd prize at the “Emona International” Competition in Ljubljana. As a distinguished soloist, she has taken to the plethora of stages across Montenegro and Europe. What’s more, her career of an orchestral musician entails performances in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Vienna’s “Musikverein” and “Wiener Konzerthaus”, the “Franz Liszt” Concert Hall in Budapest, as well as the National Concert Hall in Dublin. In the year of 2025, Petra’s performances with the Vienna’s “Walzer Orchestra” during a tour in Japan, included the ones at some of the world-renowned venues, the most notable being those at the “Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall” and the “Symphony Hall” in Osaka. She is a frequent collaborator in the performances  with the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra and a member of the newly founded trio “Alba Montenegrina”, also featuring the renowned Montenegrin flutist Žana Lekić and  Vladana Perović- a well- known pianist from Montenegro. Important is to mention her collaborations with prominent conductors such as Marc Korovitch, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Fedor Rudin, Peter Joyce, Marin Alsop, Sian Edwards and Simeon Pironkoff. Petra Lekić has also established herself through numerous masterclasses with renowned professors and flutists, including: Karl-Heinz Schütz, Andrea Olivia, Vicens Prats, Felix Renggli, Ljubiša Jovanović, Marina Nenadović, Katarina Azanjac, Michel Moragues, Karin Bonelli, Sébastien Jacot, Ting-Wei Chen, and others. Critics nowadays see her as one of the most promising young Montenegrin artists.

Vladana Perović was born in 1995 (Podgorica), completing her primary and secondary education at the “Vasa Pavić” Music School, in the class of the professor Irma Marković. At seventeen years of age, she enrolled at the “Santa Cecilia” Conservatory of Music in Rome, obtaining both her Bachelor and Master degrees with the highest honors and distinctions there, under the mentorship of professor Riccardo Marini. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the Brescia Faculty of Music (Italy), in the class of Prof. Andreas Frölich. What is important to highlight in a span of time from 2007 to 2012, is her collaboration with the eminent professor and pianist Aleksandar Serdar. Parrallel to her studies at the Conservatory, followed the further advancement of  her training at international academies in Rome under professors Daniel Rivera and Konstantin Bogino, the influence of their exceptional Russian piano school leaving a strong mark on her artistic development. During the 2018/2019 academic year, she attended the International Piano Academy in Split, and that in the class of Prof. Ruben Dalibaltayan.

She is the recipient of  numerous first and special prizes at national and international competitions. In 2015, she was a finalist as well as a third prize winner at the 6^th ASEAN International Chopin Piano Competition in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). Additionally, in 2016, she was a finalist and special prize winner at the Malta International Piano Competition. Furthermore, at the International Piano Competition in Rome in 2019, she was also a  finalist, winning the third prize as well as “Sergio Perticaroli” Special Prize, awarded by the “A.Gi.Mus” Association. As a 2009 laureate of the “Anemos” Competition in Rome, she was awarded the President of the Italian Republic’s silver medal. In 2008, having been one of the award recipients at the major international “IBLA Grand Prize” competition in Regusa, Sicily, she performed at the “Winners’ Concert” at Carnegie Hall in New York. As a soloist and chamber musician, however, she has given numerous concerts in Montenegro, North Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Russia. What is also important to mention are her performances at numerous festivals in Montenegro including: “A Tempo”, “Kotor Art”, “Music Days”, “Espressivo”, “Theatre City” Budva, as well as those abroad.

Her collaborations as a soloist include those with the: Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, the Belgrade Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Chioggia Symphony Orchestra (Italy), the Rome Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Symphony Orchestra of the Music Academy in Cetinje. She was a guest  performer at the Parliament of Montenegro at the 9^th Summit of the Southeast European Heads of State and Government in Budva. Important is to mention her participation in a large number of masterclasses, as well as collaborations with renowned pianists and pedagogues such as A.Sokolov, V.Kovač, V.Ovchinnikov, B.Kraljević, B.Canino, D.Bashkirov, A.Jasinski, P.Gililov, L.Morales, G.Mazzocante, A.Mamriev, A.Kobrin, H.Leichtfried, B.Petrushansky, K.Gekić, I.Lazko and G.Gruzman.